Utah Puzzling for Awareness V Favorites 2026

The staging area at Utah Valley University buzzed with focused energy as 76 competitors gathered for a packed single-day schedule on April 11, 2026. Taking place in Orem, Utah, USA, the venue provided a bright and lively backdrop across 17 rounds of competition. Tables filled quickly with timers, mats, and an extensive assortment of twisty puzzles. This cubing competition brought together dedicated local solvers and visiting specialists eager to test their efficiency under official tournament conditions.

The headline event delivered intense drama on the main stage during the 2026 season stop. Canyon Pettitt captured top honors in the 3x3x3 Cube, recording a winning average of 8.53 seconds along with a round-best single of 7.58 across two rounds featuring 64 entrants. Jack Anderson secured second place on the 3x3 results sheet with an 8.82 average, while Rustin Haderlie finished third with a 10.15 average. For enthusiasts tracking the classic Rubik's Cube, the final round showcased remarkable control.

Pettitt was not done with his winning ways at Utah Puzzling for Awareness V Favorites 2026. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Pettitt took first place with a 29.89 winning average and a best single of 27.93 among 24 competitors. He followed that up with another gold in 3x3x3 One-Handed, claiming victory with a 12.49 average and an 11.56 single in a field of 20 participants. His triple-gold showing marked one of the most versatile individual performances seen throughout the entire competition hall.

Jack Anderson matched that dominance in the heavy cube categories, taking home three titles of his own. Anderson won the 5x5x5 Cube with a 53.16 average, finishing ahead of Cade Beck at 1:08.86 and Grant Staten at 1:12.01. Anderson then claimed the 6x6x6 Cube with a mark of 1:37.88, leading Beck at 2:07.85 and Akoy Gregory at 2:09.39. In the 7x7x7 Cube, Anderson completed his sweep with a winning average of 2:22.90, outpacing Beck at 3:10.38 and Staten at 3:41.17.

The side events and specialty categories brought rapid action to the speedcubing tables. Miles LeBlanc captured the 2x2x2 Cube with a rapid 1.98 average, edging out Austin Chang at 3.19 and Leo Williams at 3.26. In Square-1, Elliot Pimentel secured first place with an 8.05 average over Pettitt at 11.02 and Gavin Chartier at 14.90. Pimentel also took the Skewb victory with a 4.50 average, while Kinshuk Adokar earned the Clock title with a 7.88 mark ahead of Williams at 8.85 and Gregory at 8.91.

Beyond the top podium steps, Utah Puzzling for Awareness V Favorites 2026 served as a major proving ground for solvers expanding their repertoires. Arthur Akyuz entered 4 events and dropped his Square-1 personal best to 24.33 seconds, an improvement of 62.7 percent compared to his prior 1:05.23 mark, while logging his first official 4x4x4 Cube attempt in 1:20.71. Andrew Seeley delivered a huge Skewb personal best of 5.41 seconds, cutting 59.7 percent off his previous 13.44 mark, alongside first-time attempts in Clock at 23.17 and Megaminx at 2:38.20. Malachi Jones took on 4 events, improving his 2x2x2 Cube best by 27.6 percent to 4.46 seconds and posting his first Megaminx result of 2:52.58.

Fresh milestones continued across every bracket at the WCA competition. David Harrison registered a 27.3 percent personal best reduction in the 2x2x2 Cube with a 5.23 single, adding his first official Clock time of 19.76. Emerson Smith completed 4 events, dropping his Skewb best to 6.68 seconds, an improvement of 21.4 percent, while securing 4th place in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with an opening attempt of 3:38.80. Stockton Miller lowered his Skewb personal best by 24.2 percent to 6.76 seconds and placed 7th in Pyraminx with an 8.15 debut single. First-time competitor Jeremiah Peterson tackled 4 events including a 19.76 single in the 3x3x3 Cube, while fellow debutant Lucy Alexandra Kowal posted a 10.20 first attempt in Pyraminx.

The remaining podium honors saw Damian Wilding seize the Pyraminx title with a 4.75 average, outlasting Rustin Haderlie at 5.59 and Jackson McLean at 6.88. In Megaminx, Anton Smolyanyy paced the 11-competitor field with a 44.80 average and a best single of 40.87. The blindfolded discipline tested pure concentration and spatial memory without sight, ending with Samuel Baird claiming victory on a 53.30 single.

With 13 official events wrapped up in Orem, Utah Puzzling for Awareness V Favorites 2026 proved to be an exceptional showcase of regional speed cubing skill. The 39 podium spots highlighted both seasoned veterans and rising talents across every tier of the roster. Solvers and organizers left Utah Valley University with substantial personal bests, new event benchmarks, and strong momentum heading into the remainder of the calendar.